XN000022-1978-04-23 — Page 3

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SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 1978

COMPARED WITH MARCH LAST YEAR, EXPORTS INCREASED, BY VALUE, OF $533 MILLION OR 22.9 PER CENT, IMPORTS BY $950 MILLION OR 24.2 PER CENT AND RE-EXPORTS BY $224 MILLION OR 29.3 PER CENT.

THE SHORT TERM CHANGES, MARCH 1978 COMPARED WITH FEBRUARY 1978, SHOWED INCREASES OF $734 MILLION OR 34.5 PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS, $972 MILLION OR 24.9 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS AND $209 MILLION OR 26.9 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT SAID THE REMARKABLE INCREASE IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS APPEARS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE INFLUENCE OF SEASONALITY,

THE FIGURES FOR THE 12-MONTH PERIOD FROM APRIL 1977 TO MARCH 1978 COMPARED WITH THOSE OF THE PREVIOUS CORRESPONDING 12 MONTHS SHOWED INCREASES, BY VALUE, OF 7.2 PER CENT FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS, 13.2 PER CENT FOR IMPORTS AND 12.5 PER CENT FOR RE-EXPORTS.

FOLLOWING ARE COMPARATIVE TRADE FIGURES :-

JAN.

MAR. JAN. MAR.

LATEST 3 MONTHS

1978

1977

INCREASE OR

DECREASE

$ MN.

$ MN,

$ MN.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

7.706

(% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

(74.4%)

7,271 (76.3%)

IMPORTS

13,079

11,142

RE-EXPORTS

2,647

(% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

(25.6%)

2,263 (23.7%)

+ 435 + 6.0

+1,937 +17.4

383 +16.9

MARCH

SAME MONTH LAST YEAR

1978

MARCH 1977

INCREASE OR

DECREASE

$ MN.

$

MN.

$ MN.

%

DOMESTIC EXPORTS

(% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

2.860 (74.3%)

2,327 (75.3%)

533 +22.9

IMPORTS

4,882

3,932

+

950 +24.2

RE-EXPORTS

987

(% OF TOTAL EXPORTS)

(25.7%)

763 (24.7%)

+

224 +29.3

/LAST MONTH .****